Gardendale seeking applications for African American school board member

Supporters of the creation of a Gardendale school system wore stickers bearing the phrase "I Support Gardendale City Schools" to a Friday court hearing in federal court in Birmingham (Connor Sheets | csheets@al.com)

Gardendale today begins the process of finding an African American resident who can fill an open spot on the city's board of education. It's one of the steps under a federal judge's desegregation order needed to be taken before the city can form its own school system.

At Tuesday night's Gardendale Board of Education meeting, packed by residents from inside and outside the city concerned about the effects of the judge's orders on their children, Gardendale City Council President Alvin Currington explained the process for filling the spot on the five-member board.

Board members are appointed by the city council. The city will begin accepting applications at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The deadline is 5 p.m. May 30, Currington said.

Gardendale Board of Education member Karen White resigned last week for multiple reasons, board members announced Tuesday night. But all five members had offered to resign in order that an African American could be appointed, said board member Michael Hogue.

Efforts to reach White after the meeting were unsuccessful.

At Tuesday night's meeting, the board's first public meeting since the judge issued her order, residents were given about 50 minutes to comment. They also were given cards to write down questions and the board has set up an email account so the board could respond to other questions: tellmemore@gardendalecityschools.com

Several residents told the crowd that they believe the city should continue to press toward formation of the school system despite obstacles within the federal judge's order that includes requiring the city to pay the county system for Gardendale High School. The city began efforts, including a vote to add a property tax, to form its own school system in 2013.

Gardendale resident Robby Townes said that the city has already spent $3.5 million trying to form the school system and should not turn back now.

"We're at the point of no return," Townes said. "We have to take this to the end."

Several others who said they supported formation of the school system at first say it may be time to slow down and take another look at whether the judge's order makes it feasible for the city to continue its efforts.

Russell Smith, a local businessman who supports formation of a school system, said the narrow road that has been allowed by the federal judge in this system seems to be destined for a painful process that may not let Gardendale form a system like it planned.

One of the biggest unanswered questions is how much will Gardendale have to pay for the high school, Smith said. "It's like going down the road with your headlights off and there's a brick wall in front of you," he said.

A few residents from outside the city, including Mount Olive and the predominantly black community of North Smithfield, were concerns about whether their children would attend schools. The judge has ordered provisions for North Smithfield children to be allowed to continue.

Gardendale Superintendent Patrick Martin told residents that the school system is still working out details of the transition with Jefferson County schools.

The board went into executive session with its attorneys to again discuss the judge's orders. So far the board hasn't said it would appeal the judge's orders, although attorneys for black plaintiffs say they are planning to file an appeal.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala on April 24 issued an order setting up a three-year plan, with certain conditions, for the city to split from the Jefferson County school system. She issued the order despite having found that the push for formation of the school system had racial motives.

She later issued a second order explaining her first order and sticking by it.

Gardendale would first take over the two county schools within its city limits beginning this fall. If the city complies with her orders, at the end of three years the city can ask to take over Bragg Middle School and Gardendale High School.

Besides ordering an African American be placed on the school board, Haikala among other things says Gardendale must develop a desegregation plan, pay Jefferson County an unspecified amount of money for Gardendale High School (built in 2010 at a cost of $55 million), and rezone the elementary schools.

Haikala presides over the 1965 school desegregation case Stout vs. Jefferson County Board of Education. Since a 1971 order in that case, federal judges have continued oversight - including approval of attendance zones - over county schools to make sure racial balances are maintained and no discrimination occurs.

Cities splitting off from the Jefferson County system since the 1971 order have been required to remain under the desegregation order until their system has reached "unitary status" - achieving the goals of becoming a non-discriminatory, desegregated system.

Gardendale's split and Haikala's order has gained national media attention as an example of predominantly white cities across the country splitting off from larger systems.

In a statement read by a board member Tuesday night the board addressed a number of issues, including the negative press regarding the judge's findings that the city had racial motives for forming the system. The statement read, in part:

"The court will have a keen eye on what we do, how we operate and how the schools work. We know that because they have clearly told us. So, as a community we have a huge opportunity to speak loudly and be heard. We know who we are, how our community acts, how we are a welcoming community with diversity on so many fronts that we tend to overlook what separates us and embrace what brings us together. This school board knows that this community will rise above any misconceptions and clearly demonstrate through our actions that we are One Gardendale; living, working, playing, shopping, caring, loving and going to school together."

In other business Tuesday night, the Gardendale Board of Education also:

- Approved the school calendar for the years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Schools Superintendent Patrick Martin said that Haikala ordered that the school calendars mirror that of the Jefferson County school system's calendars.

- The board voted to begin renegotiation of the contracts for Martin and the board's Chief School Financial Officer.

- Hired Dana Hill and the law firm of Hill, Hill and Carter P.C. as the board's attorneys.